Where a truck was built, what buyers in Canada could order and what one particular truck received are three different questions. Here we follow documented Oshawa trucks and Canadian literature, keeping the dates, market and limits of each source attached to the findings.
Reading the plant code
GM’s 1976 truck VIN chart places the assembly-plant character seventh and identifies 1 as Oshawa, Ontario. It also lists 4 for Scarborough, Ontario and 3 for Detroit, Michigan, so a numeric plant code alone does not establish Canadian assembly. The chart covers multiple truck types; a listed plant is not automatically a conventional-pickup factory. A VIN decode does not establish a build date, option package or retained original drivetrain. [S1]
GM of Canada’s 1976 annual report distinguishes Oshawa car and truck assembly from Scarborough van assembly and Ste-Thérèse car assembly. Its account of increased production rates provides contemporary plant context, but no C/K series, body-style or package allocation. The same passage separates those assembly operations from component manufacturing. [S9]
Three documented Oshawa examples
TCL1461519708, GMC Olympic Edition. The photographed VIN-matched SPID lists ZE2 Olympic Edition Trim. A separate GM of Canada vehicle-history record, issued June 10, 1996, records Oshawa production January 29, 1976 and shipment January 30. This is retrospective factory-record evidence, distinct from the period SPID and dealer literature. Its “630 WITH ZE2” count is qualified by the same model number; it is not an all-model Olympic production total. [S2]
CKU2461148151, Chevrolet K20. A photographed GM loading plate repeats the complete VIN. A separate Canadian certification decal reportedly reads 3/76, but the pictured decal does not visibly repeat the VIN; its association rests on the dealer gallery. No SPID, build sheet, invoice or factory option record has been recovered. Later 454-engine and restoration descriptions concern the truck’s modified condition. [S3]
TCD1461514050, GMC pickup. A photographed GM plate identifies this truck. The existing vehicle record distinguishes its VIN-indicated two-wheel-drive/250-six configuration from the later four-wheel-drive/400-V8 presentation. No SPID or build sheet has been recovered. The conversion history and original components remain unresolved. [S4]
Oshawa’s military pickup contract
GM of Canada’s 1975 annual report says production began at Oshawa in November 1975 on a contract for 2,848 four-wheel-drive military vehicles. It describes modifications to the “Chevrolet 300 series pickup truck,” including auxiliary 24-volt power, blackout lighting and special paint, with assembly intermixed with commercial vehicles. The contract quantity is not a 1976 model-year production total. This passage supplies neither individual VINs nor a complete ordering-model code; “300 series” is retained as printed.
Source: General Motors of Canada Limited, Annual Report 1975, “Review of Operations—Automotive Operations,” printed pp. 6–7 / PDF pp. 8–9; production/contract paragraph on printed p. 7 / PDF p. 9. University of Alberta Library scan. View the original report.
Country and date matter
One specific Canadian ordering example is the Olympic pickup sheet accompanying GM Canada’s January 15, 1976 dealer letter. It identifies ZE2 for C/K pickups, all series, Wideside only; requires E63 and white exterior; and excludes rally wheels from the 2500/3500-series package. These are program-specific instructions in that dated source, not general rules for every 1976 Canadian pickup. [S5]
The Canadian Chevrolet brochure bears a 9/75 imprint. The separate Canadian GMC brochure’s inspected back cover reads “GM-4703 Printed in Canada,” with no print date visible there. A brochure’s print date is not a truck’s build date, and selective brochure coverage cannot settle full-year option availability. U.S. ordering tables should not fill Canadian gaps without matching evidence. [S6–S7]
Selected Canadian Chevrolet engine entries
Selected engine entries from the Canadian Chevrolet brochure’s September 1975 specification table:
| Series | Standard six | Standard V8 | Available V8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| K10 | 250-1 | 350-4 | 400-4 |
| K20 | 292-1 | 350-4 | 400-4 |
Numbers give cubic-inch displacement followed by carburetor barrels. These are the brochure’s engine descriptions, not RPO or VIN codes. Its 454-4 entries appear in C-series columns, with none in the K10/K20 columns. Later Canadian ordering revisions remain unverified. [S6]
The Canadian brochure lists both light- and heavy-duty-emissions 350 four-barrel engines at 160 hp at 3,800 rpm. Chevrolet’s January 16, 1976 U.S. Power Teams sheet lists 165 hp at 3,800 rpm for both. These dated sources differ; the reason has not been established. [S6, S8]
Selected Canadian GMC trim details
The Canadian GMC pickup brochure also separates trim appearance from package identity. Sierra Classic seat materials were extra-cost choices with Sierra Grande on certain models; the illustrated woodgrain instrument-cluster facing and horn-button trim were optional on Sierra, Sierra Grande and High Sierra and included with Sierra Classic. Those materials and finishes alone cannot identify a truck’s original trim level. [S7]
Canadian GMC model and chassis distinctions
The 1976 GM truck VIN chart calls the fourth character a nominal ton rating; for example, 2 denotes three-quarter ton. That category is different from a brochure’s maximum gross vehicle weight. The Canadian GMC brochure gives these selected four-wheel-drive specifications: [S1, S7]
| Brochure series | Wheelbase, inches | Maximum GVW, pounds |
|---|---|---|
| K-1500 | 117.5 or 131.5 | 6,400 |
| K-2500 | 131.5 | 8,400 |
A series name alone also leaves the body and chassis unclear. The brochure places the C-3500 Wide-Side pickup in its 131.5-inch wheelbase column, while its chassis table separately lists C-31003 at 135.5 inches and C-31403 at 159.5 inches. The C-2500/C-3500 Crew Cab column gives 164.5 inches. These are the brochure’s printed designations, not a conversion from a VIN to a complete ordering-model code. [S7]
For a surviving truck, use its own label for its historical rating. The photographed plate on GMC TKU2461514493 reads GVWR 08400 and front/rear GAWR 3800/5560; no mass unit is printed beside those fields. The brochure does not replace those inscriptions, prove that truck’s wheelbase or establish its original options. The selected rows are promotional specifications, not a complete Canadian order guide or a present loading-capacity assessment. [S7, S10]
Still open: complete Canadian ordering revisions and restrictions; Oshawa-specific component sourcing and marking practices; and additional VIN-matched documents that establish factory equipment and production dates.
Following the parts back to their makers
Oshawa’s automotive story extended beyond the assembly line. Statistics Canada’s report for 1976, published in June 1978, lists Houdaille Industries of Canada Ltd.’s Oshawa plant at Wolfe and Simcoe Streets. Earlier Canadian automotive-parts directories identify Houdaille in the bumper trade: the 1968 directory lists its Oshawa operation under bumpers and bumper bars.
That makes Houdaille a useful lead when tracing bumpers on Canadian-built trucks. The records establish the company’s location and product line, but we still need a period GM purchasing record, part drawing or identifiable original component to connect it to a particular 1976 pickup. A nearby factory alone cannot establish who made a truck’s parts.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories Manufacturers, 1976, published June 1978, establishment list, PDF page 14; Canadian Automotive Parts Directory, 1968, printed page 88, bumpers and bumper bars. The directory is eight years earlier than the truck model year and is used here as a research lead.
Oshawa batteries: factory and destination evidence
The Oshawa Times reported on May 13, 1976 that GM of Canada’s Oshawa battery plant turned raw materials into finished production and service batteries for Oshawa car and truck assembly plants and parts-distribution centres. Brad Savage’s May 18 plant-tour report additionally names Scarborough van assembly and Canadian GM parts and service depots among the destinations.
These reports connect battery manufacture with named receiving operations, but do not identify a battery model or part number, establish Freedom branding or exclusive supply, or prove the original battery installation in a particular 1976 C10 or K10.
The sources give different startup descriptions: the May 13 report dates the start of production to November 1975, while GM of Canada’s 1975 annual report says the plant went into operation in mid-1975. Whether these refer to different stages remains unproved; neither date replaces the other here.
Sources: Oshawa Times, “GM Battery Operation Part Of Public Tour,” May 13, 1976, printed 13 / archive leaf 14; Brad Savage, “GM Battery Plant Clean And Modern,” Oshawa Times, May 18, 1976, printed 13 / archive leaf 14; General Motors of Canada Limited, Annual Report 1975, printed 11 / PDF 13. The two newspaper PDF links each open one scanned leaf; the archive leaf numbers are not PDF page numbers. Original images visually checked October 22, 2026.
Duplate glass: maker and customer-site evidence
An April 22, 1976 Oshawa Times report described Duplate Canada Ltd.’s Oshawa operation making rear and side window glass for GM at Oshawa, Ste. Therese and Scarborough. This names a glass maker, product type and GM customer sites, but the article’s broad automotive wording does not distinguish Oshawa car assembly from truck assembly. It identifies no C10/K10 application, numbered pane, tint or original installation. Rear and side glass are not windshield evidence, and the report does not establish exclusive supply.
Source: Oshawa Times, “Local Parts Producer Would Like Review,” April 22, 1976, front page / archive leaf 2, reporting comments by Duplate general manager David R. Pepall. The PDF opens one scanned leaf. Original page and article visually checked October 22, 2026.
A historical Newfoundland fleet notice
A Newfoundland Light & Power advertisement in The Advertiser of May 1, 1980 offered a 1976 Chevrolet pickup, serial CCD1461138526, fleet 348, at St John’s, and a 1976 GMC window van, serial TGT2564519988, fleet 45, at Corner Brook. These serials are kept as printed. The notice documents vehicles offered for sale; it does not establish a completed sale, original factory equipment or present survival.
Source: Newfoundland Light & Power sale-tender advertisement, The Advertiser, Grand Falls, Newfoundland, May 1, 1980, Section B, page 13 / PDF 33, preserved by Memorial University of Newfoundland. This is a utility-company advertisement, separate from the government notices beside it.
Sources
S1 • GM truck VIN chart
General Motors, 1976 General Motors Truck VIN System, PDF p. 2, diagram and plant-code box. Official GM-hosted reference; visually checked October 1, 2026. Supports plant-position and code statements, and the fourth-position nominal-ton field. That nominal-ton field was separately checked October 3, 2026. Its mixed truck scope limits pickup-factory conclusions.
Official GM 1976 VIN card, truck page 2
S2 • Olympic GMC TCL1461519708
73-87.com owner-submitted gallery: Olympic_RPO.jpg, VIN-matched SPID; Olympic_doc01.jpg and Olympic_doc02.jpg, GM of Canada record dated June 10, 1996. Archived document review confirms production/shipping dates, ZE2 and the same-model denominator. Evidence categories: period vehicle label; official retrospective record; owner-submitted photographs. Private customer information is omitted.
Original Olympic gallery and documents
S3 • Chevrolet CKU2461148151
RareTruckInfo public vehicle record 219, current narrative checked October 1, 2026. Source family: Trucks & Auto and later ClassicCars/Boardwalk Motors gallery. Photographed VIN-bearing loading plate is direct label evidence; the separate 3/76 decal has a gallery-only association. Modified-equipment descriptions remain auction/dealer claims. No new VIN interpretation is made here.
Public Chevrolet K20 vehicle record
S4 • GMC TCD1461514050
RareTruckInfo public vehicle record 180, current narrative checked October 1, 2026. Wild Rose lot 46 supplies the photographed VIN-bearing plate; Rosehill 2021 and Formula/Carbuckle 2022 are repeat appearances. The established configuration boundary is retained without re-decoding the truck.
Public GMC vehicle record and auction sources
S5 • Canadian Olympic ordering material
GM Canada, Pontiac-Buick-GMC, letter to Pontiac and GMC truck dealers, January 15, 1976, unnumbered scan Olympic_doc03.jpg; attached “Olympic Edition Pickup” sheet, unnumbered scan Olympic_doc04.jpg. Both visually rechecked October 1, 2026. Period manufacturer/dealer material reproduced by the owner’s archive. Package scope and requirements are legible; pricing and the small white-paint code are not transcribed into this draft.
Attached Olympic pickup ordering sheet
S6 • Canadian Chevrolet brochure
Chevrolet / GM of Canada, 1976 Chevrolet Pickups, Canadian edition, 9/75: printed p.5, engine ratings; final specification leaf, scan 12/PDF 12, selected engine entries and imprint. These rows were visually checked October 2, 2026. A copy filed in the host’s North American truck directory also bears GM of Canada, Oshawa, 9/75 and Printed in Canada. Classify it by its imprint; it is not a separate U.S. edition. The small publication identifier and complete Canadian ordering revisions remain unresolved.
Canadian Chevrolet final page / imprint
Canadian Chevrolet printed pages 4–5, including engine ratings; Canadian-imprint copy filed in the archive’s North American directory.
S7 • Canadian GMC brochure
GM of Canada / GMC, 1976 GMC Pickups, Canadian edition, GM-4703, Printed in Canada. Printed pp. 4–5 / PDF 3 support the selected upholstery and finish findings; printed pp. 8–9 / PDF 5 supply the selected four-wheel-drive and chassis-dimension rows; the unnumbered back cover / PDF 7 supplies the imprint. No print date is visible on that back cover. This promotional brochure is not a complete dated order guide; full-year ordering revisions and the pickup upholstery-album leaves remain unresolved.
Canadian GMC trim spread, printed 4–5 / PDF 3; four-wheel-drive and chassis dimensions, printed 8–9 / PDF 5; unnumbered back cover / PDF 7.
S8 • U.S. Chevrolet pickup ratings comparison
Chevrolet Motor Division, 1976 Chevrolet Truck Data Book, Pickup / Power Teams, printed p. 28/PDF 31, dated January 16, 1976. The two 350 four-barrel entries are the comparison source for the rating note above. This sheet does not explain the difference from the Canadian brochure.
U.S. Pickup / Power Teams, printed 28 / PDF 31, January 16, 1976
S9 • GM of Canada annual report
General Motors of Canada Limited, Annual Report 1976, “Automotive Operations,” printed p. 6 / PDF 8. University of Alberta Library scan. The actual report occupies PDF pages 1–20 of the larger download; later 1980 press material is a separate document. The report’s planned 1977/1978 programs should not be presented as completed 1976 operations.
GM of Canada Annual Report 1976, printed 6 / PDF 8
S10 • GMC TKU2461514493
RareTruckInfo vehicle record 281, checked October 3, 2026. Its VIN-matched photographed GM identification/camper-loading plate records GVWR 08400 and front/rear GAWR 3800/5560, without a printed mass unit beside those fields. The record separates those historical inscriptions from auction equipment and unresolved original configuration.